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Stick to Football Steelcurtain 09 Crosby and Malkin are going to **** on the Caps.

PENS WILL F-CK THE CAPITALS HARD
PENS HAVE THE CAPITALS CARD
PENS WILL F-CK THE CAPITALS QUICK
PENS WILL F-CK EM WITH ALL THEIR HOCKEY STICKS
CAPITALS WILL DROP THE PUCK
BY THE PENS THE CAPITALS WILL GET F-CKED
ON THE PENS THE CAPITALS WILL CHOKE
BY THE PENS THE CAPITALS WILL GET SMOKED.

1. Test the rookie. Simeon Varlamov has a very respectable 1.17 goals against average, but faced 30+ shots in a game only once in the series against New York. Not only did he enjoy an easy workload, but most of the shots that New York took were from bad angles or far distances--chances with low scoring percentages.

2. Rush the net. Again, the Rangers took too many shots that didn't have much chance to tickle the twine in their 7-game series with Washington. In last night's game, however...the Rangers' lone tally came when Andrew Dubinsky rushed the net and Nik Antropov picked up the loose change and buried it. Sidney Crosby will have to keep scoring the type of goals that he did against Philly and others will have to join in, like Max Talbot, Ruslan Fedotenko, Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, Jordan Staal, and Matt Cooke.

Not only do we need more production from the players I named (outside of Crosby, as he was fantastic against Philadelphia), but each of them have scored quite a few goals from in front of the net. That is where the Pens will have to make hay as the sun shines, as the Washington defense is not very physical.

3. Unload on Semin. The guy who once proclaimed that he sees nothing special in Crosby has actually become Washington's most dangerous player. He doesn't need 13 shots per game to put the puck in the net and can stickhandle in a phone booth. Dan Bylsma needs to pair up Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik on Alexander Semin's line so Orpik can wear him down with his physicality. Alexander Ovechkin is going to score and do his stupid ****ing goal celebrations...but if you stop Semin, you'll limit the production of that entire line.

4. Work harder and the bounces will follow. In hockey, the team that works harder usually gets all the bounces. The Pens need to win the battles for loose pucks and work harder in the corners. When the defending Eastern Conference champs are moving their skates, they are near-impossible to beat. If the Pens are able to work harder in 4 of these 7 games, we'll be moving on.

Other things will need to be in order for the Pens to win, like a more productive powerplay and limiting the dumb penalties. We also need to be more physical than the Caps.

When you look at the match-ups, the Pens should win this one in the first 6 games. I believe the Pens are more well-rounded offensively, have a much better defense, and the Caps are putting their playoff hopes on the shoulders of an under-worked/over-appreciated rookie in net.

I agree that goaltending will be the difference in this series once again much like it was in the Philly series. Varlamov will see a lot more pressure and good chances this series then he did in the Rangers series when they were throwing 15 shots at him per game. The Penguins are good for that sometimes in the 1st period when things are really clicking. I think Fleury outplays him and the Penguins will get in his head enough by the middle of the series that I wouldnt be surprised if the Caps yank him in favor of Theodore at some point. With that being said, I agree with you that the Pens should take this series in 6 games with the clincher coming here at home on May 11th.

and if you havent noticed the trend over the last few years, but there have been very few pens fans at verizon center recently. i know this is somewhat of a bandwagon effect but i still appreciate our rink now being very volatile to oppossing teams. just ask torterella about that.

Yeah, they are back to there old tricks. blocking any ticket sales with a Pittsburgh area zip code.

WTF is Malkin doing? I understand his linemates aren't the best but he hasn"t done **** in the playoffs. He looks like he's in a daze. It reminds me of Barry Bonds in the early 90's. We aren't dead but they need to really step it up. Sid has been playing very well, now it's time for him to do something to get the rest of the team on the same page.

"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."
-Wayne Dyer

Malkin can go **** himself right now......Were has he been in the last 3-4 play-off games?........Fleury is such a little bitch that I really can't stand his punk *** right now either.....He is getting out played by Varlamov........As for Alex Ovechkin at this point I wish somebody from the Pens would beat his brains in with a hockey stick......

Nice effort from Sid the Kid tonight....To bad he is the only worth a damn on the offensive side for the Pens this series so far.....